Sipping Sustainably: Earth Month Spirits and the Brands Enforcing Positive Change

Earth Day is coming! But every year we are seeing the spotlight on conservation and our environmental impact expanding far beyond than just a single day of recognition. Earth Day (April 22nd) ‘now encompasses the entire month of April, globally’. - ecochallenge.org

Earth Month is an international call to action for businesses and consumers alike, and the theme for 2024 is: ‘Conserving Every Ecosystem, Caring for Every Creature’. Take this month as a chance to reflect. What actions can you take that resonate with your everyday values, while simultaneously fostering and reinforcing positive habits?

Whilst the responsibility can’t fall on one person’s shoulders, nor happen in one month, we can take this opportunity to pause and recharge our opinions on conscious consumption and reassess who we endorse. It is one of our core beliefs here at Spirits Kiosk and so much of what we do is to help drinkers make more informed decisions - whatever they are into. If you find yourself questioning how your money can positively enforce change, here are some brands pioneering the conversation around sustainable production and process.

The Lost Explorer Mezcal

The Lost Explorer Mezcal is a handcrafted spirit made in Oaxaca, celebrating the Earth and elevating the soul to sip and live curiously. The Lost Explorer reframes the idea of ‘taking’ from the land to ‘receiving from nature on equal footing’, this curiosity led to the craft of small-batch mezcal that preserves the artisanal craft, heritage and biodiversity of Mexico. A commitment to the community and natural land.

For The Lost Explorer, Mezcal is all about sustainable discovery and with that, a naturally cultivated narrative of respect. Some of their agaves have grown for over 10, 12, even 25 years, so when we talk about commitment, this is a brand that has nurtured a home for every aspect of the business.

What’s more, The Lost Explorer Mezcal works in partnership with Voice for Nature Foundation, supporting the three Mexican organisations: Isla Urbana - an NGO dedicated to sustainable rainwater harvesting, SiKanda - a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainable development within marginalised communities, and Maestro Noel Martinez’s Artisan Residency & Mentorship Centre.

Discover our favourite bottling, The Lost Explorer Espadín Mezcal, here.

Patrón Tequila

From eco-friendly reverse osmosis irrigation systems to a GlobalG.A.P certification, Patrón Tequila are committed to their social and environmental responsibilities. Patrón is arguably the most iconic Tequila brand in the world, which makes their dedication to stay true to their time-honoured production methods that much more impressive. So how do they do it? We look at two ways Patrón is leading by example…

Recycling Water & Reducing Emissions - Patrón have developed a state-of-the-art water treatment system to reclaim clean water from tequila production, which is then reused in cooling and cleaning. They are also the first Tequila distillery to install a natural gas pipeline as a main energy source, which in turn helps to reduce CO2 emissions.

Agave Sustainability - Patrón is the first in the world to certify agave production with GlobalG.A.P, an international set of standards for safe, and socially and environmentally responsible farming practices. Patrón also proactively funds agricultural research to ensure the sustainability of the Weber Blue Agave plant for the entire industry.

We’ve been enjoying Patrón Reposado Tequila, when served neat - expect light oak, fresh agave with sweet citrus from the time spent in oak barrels for 2-6 months.

Warner's Distillery

Over at Warner’s Distillery, they have four key pillars that cements their sustainability mission: ‘Doing right by the planet’, ‘Doing right by society’, ‘Doing epic drinks right’, and ‘Doing business right’.

For Warner’s, ‘Doing right by the planet’ means increasing biodiversity through their work with Falls Farm to safeguard new and existing habitats for species conservation. From wetland and wildflower meadow creation next to their botanical garden, to efficient waste management that works towards achieving zero to landfill - sustainability flows through every practice in the distillery.

When it comes to the liquid itself, the aim is simple - to craft their drinks in harmony with nature. Warner’s only use 100% natural ingredients which are responsibly sourced from sustainable suppliers that deliver on quality and provenance, and never from synthetic flavourings.

If you want to read more about Warner’s Distillery and how they are enforcing positive habits throughout their practices - head over to their website here. But if you’re keen to get cracking with crafting a deliciously fragrant G&T that’s big on juniper, we suggest you get Warner’s London Dry Gin in your basket…

Sapling Vodka

Planet friendly, recyclable, vegan, gluten-free and B Corp Certified - Sapling Spirits bleeds climate positivity in everything they do. Sapling Spirits are firm believers that sustainability starts with the grain, by only using ingredients made exclusively in the UK to reduce transport emissions.

By One Get One Tree - For every bottle bought, Sapling will plant a tree. One tree can absorb up to 1.5 tonnes of carbon in its lifetime and through Sapling’s projects they have planted a whopping 193K trees across the UK and abroad. From fruit trees in London to oak tress in Bristol, Sapling also donates 5% or more of their annual revenue towards reforestation projects.

But it’s their Eco Packaging that really captures our attention. Sapling’s bottles are made from up to 40% recycled glass, are 100% recyclable, and their corks are completely natural too. Bottles are hugely carbon intensive to create, so they encourage their bars and restaurants to use 5 litre eco boxes, so that their bottles can be refilled and reused. By eliminating glass waste wherever possiblethey have reduced their carbon footprint by around 25%, as one eco box saves 7 bottles from ever being created. If that doesn’t impress you - Sapling Spirits Eco Boxes have saved over 17,400kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Sapling Vodka has been our go to choice for a light refreshing serve - it’s clean, creamy and smooth with a slight herbaceous touch and a citrusy backbone. Enjoy this in a Spring Vodka Tonic!

Discarded Spirits Co.

Discarded Spirits Co. are pioneering the conversation around zero waste spirits. Their mission and purpose is simple - to reverse needless waste and to inspire progress. Discarded Spirits are reframing the way people perceive waste, with the aim to shift how consumers drink spirits and make the more sustainable (and tasty) choice.

Once wasted, now treasured, the award-winning zero waste range reuses waste from the coffee, wine and whisky industries - take their Banana Peel Rum for example. Discarded Spirits have repurposed Caribbean rum that is originally used to season whisky casks at William Grant and Sons, before blending the liquid with an extract made from banana peels. Saving a spirit which is often sold or even disposed of.

70% of food and drink waste is completely avoidable - which is the driving force in their discovery of unwanted, undiscovered and ‘redundant’ ingredients. Discarded Spirits have perfected this delicious and encouraging vision which is changing the attitude and outlook of spirited consumers.

Destilería y Bodega Abasolo

Destilería y Bodega Abasolo are the makers behind Nixta Licor de Elote - a Mexican corn liqueur made from ancestral cacahuazintle maize. From corn field to bottle, their mission is simple, which is to honour the millenary Mexican culture of corn and to maintain its integrity.

Located in the heart of Jilotepec at an altitude of 7,800ft, the destilería is one of the highest in the world. And why fix something that isn’t broken? The distillery marries old restored buildings that were originally used for planting and drying corn with innovative architecture inspired by traditional corn storage systems. Every element of the distillery is meant to reinforce and reinvent the ancient tradition and contemporary craft that is part of our production processes and inherent culture.

Nc'nean Distillery

Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Scotch was a huge feature last month on Spirits Kiosk, celebrating the spirits brands leading the conversation in B Corp month, but we’re not finished talking about them just yet…

Our first toast to Earth Month was with Nc’nean Huntress 2022, Nc’nean's first spring series release, which is all about their ethos of discovery and nature. Nc’nean uses organic Scottish barley that is produced in the most natural way possible. Which means no pesticides and no fertilisers. Using organic barley results in massive biodiversity, improved soil health and better water quality.

Nc’nean’s distillery production footprint is naturally very low due to their commitment to 100% renewable energy across the distillery. But to achieve their net zero status for distillery operations, Nc’nean have partnered with Highland Carbon to reduce the remaining carbon emissions through a sustainable forest planting project.

Nc’nean are also a zero waste distillery, diverting 99.97% of all waste from landfill in 2021. The liquid which is left after distilling is spread over local farmland as fertiliser and leftover barley provides a tasty meal for the cows on the farm. They even have their own water source - all the water used in their whisky making comes from a local spring that requires no treatments or chlorine before use. What’s more is that they go one step further by recycling rainwater via their natural cooling pond, meaning they can use the same water over and over, with no energy required to cool it down or chemicals to keep it clean.

Everleaf Non-Alcoholic Aperitifs

Everleaf is a range of non-alcoholic aperitifs inspired by nature. Founder Paul Matthew, was a conservation biologist working on plant conversation in the hope that threatened plant species could live on forever, and the mission at Everleaf stems from a deep understanding of how to respectfully use the natural world. And they do this in three ways:

Sourcing - the plants used in Everleaf’s production are carefully sourced to support the ecosystems and communities in which they grow (which also means the highest quality and best flavour…). Among them, hand-harvested Irish-dulse and organically grown olive leaf. Others are linked to conservation or social initiatives - their gum acacia supplier’s foundation supports Africa’s Great Green Corridor while their vanilla supplier’s support education, conservation and women’s right in Madagascar.

Working - Like with many of the brands we’ve featured these past few weeks, Everleaf are also B Corp Certified, working hard to achieve and maintain the rigorous social and environmental standards of the certification.

Giving Back - Everleaf is also a member of 1% For The Planet and are committed to giving more than 1% of turnover to charity each year. They have partnered with Fauna&Flora, the world’s oldest conservation charity, alongside supporting SeaTrees where donations help with the replanting of marine species to regenerate ocean-health.

We’ll leave you with this quote from ecochallenge.org: “In this Earth Month, let’s demonstrate how our choices and learnings can bring us together to tangibly conserve ecosystems and care for all creatures, securing a sustainable world for generations to come.”

Happy Sustainable Sipping!